Walter Cronkite's special interview from Vietnam?

Answer 1

Cronkite only made one "earth shattering" commentary on the war, and that was during TET of '68. Of the several newsmen of the 60's, such as the Huntley Brinkley Reports, among others, Cronkite was the legend. US Generals/Admirals, are actually military politicians. They're the ones that communicate with Senators and Presidents, Kings & Emperors. Generals/Admirals distribute the forces; whether they be planes, ships, or men. Colonels/Majors are field grade officers in the military; they control the battlefields; hence the word "field." Company grade officers are Captains and Lieutenants...they fight the battles. The men that communicated with Senators and Presidents had stated to their superiors that the war in Vietnam was being won. The Communists were on the run; and like WWII (these men were WWII veterans) American Firepower, coupled with the determination of the "American Fighting Man" would carry the day (onto victory). So, like today, the American people, to include the politicians, basically STAYED OUT OF IT. What ever the military said, the population went along with it. Then came TET. What the heck happened? Who the heck said what!? How could they do this? Did someone lie? What the H--- is going on? Cronkite went to Vietnam. He had served on the front lines in the ETO of WWII (European Theater of Operations) as a war correspondent. He landed in the Nam and evaluated it, and reported on TV news wearing a flak vest, while he walked amongst the embattled cities (amongst the rubble). He made his commentary; he returned home and at his desk made his final commentary. He may not have said it, but he certainly inferred it; we weren't going to when this war, and our Generals/Admirals if they didn't deliberately MIS-LEAD the US public...then they themselves, were certainly FOOLED. President LBJ, of course, watched Cronkite on the news, then commented (there's two different versions): If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost the war. Second version, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost the American people."